INTRODUCTION

Measurements are so often taken for granted we sometimes do not appreciate the grand importance measurements play in our lives. In mathematics, measurements fall into the categories of weight, area, volume, length and even temperature. Cooking of all forms is based on proper attention to measurement. Can you bake a chicken at 600 degrees? Well, you can but the results would be pretty catastrophic! Could you may a cup of tea by dipping a tea bag into a teaspoon of warm water? If you have to be at school at 9am what time would you have to leave in the morning if you are at your friend's house. Often we do not have an exact answer so we need to make an estimation which is essentially a guess of measurement. Keeping yourself warm or cool. If the temperature outside dips or increases you have to make an adjustment on your thermostat in order to remain at a safe and healthy temperature. Understanding the measurement scale of a thermostat is critical in this regard or else you may find yourself feeling rather uncomfortable. Understanding weight. Is that object too heavy to pick up by yourself or do you need to use something to lift it? Some may think this is not important but it is pretty easy to hurt yourself if you lift objects that are too heavy. Proper use of capacity. Just how many clothes can you fit in a dresser or closet without it becoming too crammed? Without a clear concept of capacity you might find yourself pouring an entire half gallon of orange juice into a small glass! Now that we know the importance of measurements, let us look at its origin and some problems that were encountered during ancient times.

WHAT IS MEASURMENT?

History of measurement
Weights and measures were among the earliest tools invented by man. Primitive societies needed basic measures for many tasks: constructing dwellings of an appropriate size and shape, fashioning clothing and bartering food or raw materials. Man understandably turned first to parts of his body and his natural surroundings for measuring instruments. Early Babylonian and Egyptian records, and the Bible, ndicate that length was first measured with the forearm, hand, or finger and that time was measured by the periods of the sun, moon, and other heavenly bodies. When it was necessary to compare the capacities of containers such as gourds or clay or metal vessels, they were filled with plant seeds that were then counted to measure the volumes. With the development of scales as a means for weighing, seeds and stones served as standards. For instance, the "carat," still used as a mass unit for gems, is derived from the carob seed. As societies evolved, measurements became more complex. The invention of numbering systems and the science of mathematics made it possible to create whole systems of measurement units suited to trade and commerce, land division, taxation, and scientific research. For these more sophisticated uses, it was necessary not only to weigh and measure more complex things it was also necessary to do it accurately time after time and in different places. However, with limited international exchange of goods and communication of ideas, it is not surprising that different systems for the same purpose developed and became established in different parts of the world - even in different parts of the same country.

Problems that occurred with the devices used back in time

1) The earliest clocks relied on shadows cast by the sun, and hence were not useful in cloudy weather or at night and required recalibration as the seasons changed. 2) The earliest known clock was water-powered and sometimes the flow of water is not perfectly controlled. 3) The hourglass didnt have all the sand it needs to add up to an hour.
Experts theorize that the earliest units of length were derived from parts of the body. Units of capacity probably also had the same beginning. The problems with this are obvious. Different size people result in different size measurements. Man realized early that a standard system of weights and measures was necessary.
Sun dials were of limited use in cloudy weather (which fortunately for Egyptians was rare) and at night. The sun' shadow moved so slowly it was relatively useless marking off minutes and seconds. Thutmose III era sundials were also useless early in the morning and late in the afternoon when the shadow was cast to an infinite length (this problem was later addressed by Greek sun dials, which were shaped like the interior of the bottom half of a globe).

The ancient Egyptians developed water clocks (useful at night) in the 15th century B.C. Water clocks operate on the principle that water can be made to drip at a fairly constant rate from a bowl with a tiny hole in the bottom. To make sure that time scale remains constant water pressure had to remain constant and an effort had to be made to make sure that the hole in the vessel wasn't worn larger. The clocks were used primarily like hour glasses. Calibrating them to measure off uniform hours at night that were linked to the hours of the day, which changed depending on the season, was too complicated for the ancient Egyptians to deal with.

Time was sometimes determined from lamps. Ancient lamp wicks were timed to last for four hours.

You could expect variations in measurements when you are using seeds as a unit of measurement. Not every seed used for a specific measurement is identical. This is why we use a standardized system today. ChaCha!

The metric system of measurement

The metric system is an international system of measurement used in all the countries of the world, except for the United States, Burma and Liberia. It was designed to be a universal system that could easily be used by ordinary people. It is a decimal system that is designed to make complex conversions between units, such as conversion between inches and yards, obsolete. If you want to know who developed the metric system of measurement, continue reading to find out. Who invented the metric system? In 1586, a mathematician called Simon Stevin published a pamphlet stating that he believed that decimal weights, measurements and coins would eventually be adopted. These ideas were adopted by John Wilkins and he created the Universal Measurement System in 1668. This was used as the basis of the modern metric system. In 1670 a French scientist called Gabriel Mouton developed a system of decimal measurement based on the Earths circumference. His ideas were supported by Jean Picard and Christiaan Huygens, who were two highly regarded scientists of the time. Around the same time, German mathematician Gottfried Leibniz proposed a similar system to Gabriel Mouton. In 1790 the metric system we know today was developed by the French National Assembly. The first country to adopt the metric system was France in 1799 and by 1875 almost half of the worlds population was using the system. The United States remains the only industrialized country that has not switched to the metric system. Thomas Jefferson proposed a decimal

system of measurement for the United States in 1790, which was different from todays metric system, but it was rejected by Congress.

The SI system has been adopted by nearly all the world's nations through a process called metrication. Today 95% of the world's population live in metricated countries, even though scattered use of some non-metric units may persist in some of these countries. The only, and particularly noticeable holdout to full metrication is the United States and, to a lesser degree, the United Kingdom, mainly due to public apathy. Most government business is now done fully in metric. However, efforts are underway to convert the public sphere to metric, although significant progress is likely only after more forceful legislation is passed. COMMONLY USED UNITS OF THE METRIC SYSTEM

Quantity measured Length, width, distance, thickness, girth, etc.

Unit millimeter centimeter Meter kilometer Milligram

Symbol mm cm m km mg g kg t s C m ha km mL cm

Relationship 10 mm = 1 cm 100 cm = 1 m 1 km = 1000 m 1000 = 1 g mg 1 kg = 1000 g 1 t = 1000 kg

Mass (weight)*

Gram Kilogram metric ton Second degree Celsius square meter

Time Temperature

Area

Hectare square kilometer Milliliter

1 ha = 10 000 m 1 km = 100 ha 1000 = 1 L mL 1 cm = 1 mL

Volume cubic centimeter

Liter cubic meter meter per second kilometer per hour

L m m/s km/h

1000 L = 1 m

Speed, velocity

1 km/h = 0.278 m/s

MEASURING DEVICES

A body of knowledge, often formulated as laws and theories, based on the collection of data through observation and experiment.

MEASURING DEVICES Instruments for determining various quantities such as temperature, mass, height, length, voltage and mechanical force.

measure of temperature Temperature: physical quantity corresponding to the level of heat or cold, which is measured by means of a thermometer.

thermometer

clinical thermometer

bimetallic thermometer

measure of time Time: physical quantity corresponding to a phenomenon or an event that is measured with devices such as watches and stopwatches.

stopwatch

sundial

mechanical watch [1]

mechanical watch [2]

analog watch

digital watch

grandfather clock

weight-driven clock mechanism

measure of weight Mass: physical quantity that characterizes an amount of matter (mass) that is measured by means of a scale.

beam balance

unequal-arm balance

Robervals balance

bathroom scale

electronic scale

analytical balance

spring balance

measure of thickness Thickness: dimension corresponding to the distance between two surfaces of the same body.

vernier caliper

micrometer caliper [1]

micrometer caliper [2]

measure of distance Distance: interval separating two points in space.

measure of length Length: the longer dimension of an object as opposed to its width.

measure of angles Angle: figure formed by two intersecting lines or planes; it is measured in degrees.

theodolite

protractor

bevel square

CONLCUSTION

BIBILOGRAPHY